Vehicle-tire protector.



J. E. ROBINSON. VEHICLE TIRE PROTECTOR. APPLIOATION FILEDDEOVPZO, 1906.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908-.

' arwqn,

. which the following pulley 7.

JAMES E. ROBINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-TIRE rnorncron.

Tooll where it mag/concern: I I Be it known thatl, JAMES E.Ronnrso1v, a

I citizen of the Uni-tedstates, residing at Che cage,

in the county of Gook and State oflllihere, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tire Protectors, of

I is aspeciiication.

My invention re ates to improvements in vehicle tire protectors, and has forits salient object to provide a tire protecting device for application to the tires of an automobile or other vehicle, which will operate to take up the wear which would otherwise cause deterioration of the tire and to prevent damage 'to the tire by puncture or otherwise.

A further ob ect of my invention is topic vide a tire protecting construction of the character described, which is simple, easy of manufacture, efficient in operationand readily applied to a vehicle. I

()ther and further objects of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the tollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawi wherein;

' igure 1 IS a side view of an embodiment of my invention shown in association with a fragment of a running gear of an automobile; Fig. 2 isa section on line 2',2 of Fig.

1 with parts in elevation,

Throughout the drawing like numerals of reference refer always to like parts.

In the drawing 5 indicates a vehicle wheel,;

provided with a pneumatic tire 6;

7 indicates a. ulle'y, mounted for rotation in the plane of tire 6, on an axis ralll to the axis of rotation of the wh ,1 and with its lperipheral surface arched in a direction paral el with its axis-of rotation.

' 8 indicates an endless belt or band, constituting the tire protector proper, running around a large portion of thesurface of the tire, and then over the pulley 7. In general it will thus be seen that the tire protector 8 having a lar e surface in frictionalengagemcnt with t e surface of the tire, travels with the tire, running over the rotatable The tire protector proper,

and impervious qualities, that which I have herein illustrated comprising superposed Q layers of fabric and rubber united in an inte I I specimen 01 Letters latent,

Application filed DacemherZO, race. Serial at. $8,6 4.

ut out of contact with the or belt may be of suitable construction, preferably of tough Patented Oct 13, 1908.

gral body; and somewhat thickerv at its center than at its edges, the transverse section of the belt being suitably "concaved to make intimate contact with the tread surface ofthe tire. Itis desirable that the curvature or arch of the pulleys '7 be of shorter radius than the curvature of the surface of'the tire, so that a little greater the middle of the belt than upon its edges, I prefer that the pulley 7 be mounted to exert a constant tension upon the belt, and

that it be adjustable in an are relative to the tension may be exerted irpon periphery of the wheel, so that it may be positioned in or at any angle to the radial lane of contact between the belt and the w eelsupporting surface; and I further prefer I ort be derived from the axle on which the w eel rotates. To this end I have. illustrated in the drawing a typical su rting and adjusting stmcture, applica e to certain vehicle construction, but which it that the sup will be understood may be varied to suit the particular requirements of the vehicle to whlch the device is attached.v In the drawing 10 indicates the wheel axle,

and 11 an ellipticalspring secured thereto by an axle-en gin clip 13, a retaining plate 14 and suitab e be ts 15. To the plate 14 is secured or integrally attached an outwardly extending arm 17, terminating in an upturned arcuate plate or flan 18, concentric with the axis of rotation the wheel. Through the flange 18 are made suitable apertures 19, at proper intervals. This base 'and flange construction may be made in one piece as by casting,

7 20 indicates a short arcuate plate or shoe,

provided with suitable apertures spaced apart a distance equal to that between apertures 19 and adapted to be secured by bolts 21 in: any position of adjustment upon the arcuate plate 19. To the shoe 20 is-secured or integrally connected an arm or. standard 22, exteriorly screw threaded as at 23 near its point of attachment to the plate 18, and

at ts lower end provided with'a recess 23 extending to a'considerable depth therein.

A slot 24 is made longitudinally through the cylindrical wall of the recess part.

The pulley 7, and its support, are circumferenti'ally adjustable around the axis of the vehicle wheel without necessarily changing the length of the radius-between the axes of pulley 7 may always be adjusted to a true orizontal position. Anut is adjustably threaded on the thread 23, and aspring 31 is interposed between said nut and the head 27 to tend to force the head and consequently the pulley 7' away from the axle 10v with a tension that may bevaried by adjustment of the nut 30. V 4

It will be seen that the endless belt may readily be laced upon the wheel 6 and pulle 7 and that the pulley 7 may be rotatably adiusted relative tothe axle to such position as to make displacement of the protecting belt 8 by skidding of the wheel most difiicult,

with a uniform tension upon the .be t to maintain it taut. V l

Obviously the diverse construction of different makes of automobiles may necessitate changes in the specific construction of the attaching device for securing the arciiate late 18 in position with respect to the axle, but changes may be readily efiected.

I have found that there is a critical point lying above the axis of the wheel between a vertical line and a horizontal 1 line taken through saidaxis where the pulley 7 should be located to exert the greatest resistance against accidental displacement of the protector belt 8. I have also found that'this location difl'ers tail a s ecific embodiment of cific construction shown and described, as.

somewhat according to the varying characteristics of the wheels or tires that differ in size and construction. 'It is, therefore, convenpulley 7 circumferentially.

While I have herein described in some demy invention, it will e understood that I do not limit my invention in its broader aspect to the speconsiderable variations therefrom may be scripe of my invention.

made without departure from the spirit and aving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofjthe United States, is:

1. In combination, a vehicle wheel provided with a pneumatic tire, an axle therefor, a pulley 1n the plane of but separated from said vehicle wheel, a sup ort for said pulley, associated with the ax e for movement therewith and a tire protecting belt running over said tire and said pulley.

2.' ,In combination, a'wheel provided with a pneumatic tire, an axle therefor, an arm extending outward from the axle and su portedfor movement therewith, a rotatable pulley mounted on said arm, arranged in the plane of the vehicle wheel, and a tire protecting belt running over said tire and said pulley,

3. In combination with a vehicle wheel provided with a neumatic tire, a pulley arranged in the p ane of but out of contact with said vehicle wheel, a support for thepulley secured to the axis of said wheel, a belt passing over said pulley and under the tread of the vehicle wheel, and an elastic means for automatically exerting a )ressure on said pulley to maintain the the t under uniform tension. and that when so positioned the ulley acts- 4;;In combination with a vehicle tire, a structure to which said velncle wheel is attached, apulley supported from said structure and arranged in the plane of but out of contact with said vehicle wheel, a belt pass' ing around said Vehicle wheel and the pulley,

and a means for adjusting said pulley circumferentially relative to the axis of rotation of the wheel.

5. In combination with a wheel and axle of a vehicle, a pulley, arranged in the plane of but out of contact with said wheel, a belt passing aroundsaid' pulley and wheel, and a spring pressed supportfor the pulley connected with and supported from. the axle. 6. In combination with a wheel and the non-rotating parts connected therewith, a

radial post connected with said part, and v provided with a recess, a stem in'said recess, ient to be ab'leto ad ust the location of the a spring tending to press said stem outward in the recess, a pulleyreceiving support from JAWS E. ROBINSON.

In the presence of GEO. T. MAY, Jr., MARY F. ALLEN. 

